No, it’s not PROJECT manager!

One of the most common complaints we hear from product managers is that they’re being constantly mistaken for project managers. Are you? What do you do about it? Smile and mutter, “it’s actually product, not project”…or sigh, and go about your day…silently seething?

Time to do something.

Here’s what we want you to say: The most important work I do is to focus on understanding our customers.

Then, act like you mean it. The next time you’re in a scrum meeting, don’t take the random action items. C’mon, we know you do. We’ve all been guilty of it at some point. Product managers want their products to succeed, and that means we’ll do anything to get the job done. Pretty admirable really – but it gets us into trouble. We stop prioritizing time to learn about the customer, to take care of the dozen little details for the team. Time to make a stand. There are other people on your team – everyone should help, everyone should share in the task workload. Don’t be the catch-all. Don’t act like the project manager, and people will stop thinking you’re one.

No-one else will do the customer work you’re responsible for. Make that your first priority. Make a stand today.